Household refrigerator with distilled water dispenser



Feb. 15, 1944. E. B. KASOLD 2,341,872

HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATOR WITH DISTILLED WATER DISPENSER 7 Filed April 1, 1942 ZN VENTOE.

A Patented Feb. 15, 1944 PATENT OFFICE V HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATOR WITH DIS- TILLED WATER DISPENSER Edmund B. Kasold, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 1, 1942, Serial No. 437,101

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in household refrigerators, and more particularly to a household refrigerator provided with a distilled water dispenser.

The main object of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with a household refrigerator, means affording a constant supply of cold distilled water.

' A further object is to provide a refrigerator having a water still inside the refrigerator housing, with heat insulating wall meansseparating the still from the refrigerated space, and with a distilled water cooling receptacle disposed within the refrigerated space and connected to receive distilled water from the still, whereby distilled water may be continually produced inside the refrigerator without appreciable inpairment of the refrigerating efficiency, and the resulting distilled water may be continually cooled and may be dispensed from the cooling receptacle when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter or will be apparent from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator with distilled water dispensing means according to my invention, the refrigerator door being shown in open position; and

Fig. 2 is a simplified diagrammatic sectional view of a suitable form of still for use in my in- 'vention.

.The refrigerator is shown as comprising a hous ing or cabinet I having suitable heat insulating wall means as indicated at 2 enclosing the top and bottom, rear and lateral sides of a refrigerated space 3, and a hingedly mounted door l disposed at the front of the housing and adapted to completely close the front of the interior space. A refrigerating unit 5 of any suitable type is mounted within the housing, in the upper portion of the refrigerated space, adapted to maintain the desired low temperature throughout such space due to air convection currents, in Well known manner.

A portion of the interior of the housing, indicated at B, is utilized as a still compartment, and suitable heat insulating wall means are provided, separating this compartment and the still therein from the refrigerated space. Such separating wall means are shown as comprising two vertically spaced horizontal wall members l and 8 extending from the housing side wall at one side of the still compartment and closing the bottom of said compartment, and a centrally located vertical wall 9 closing the other side of the still compartment and extending from the top wall of the housing downward to the lower horizontal wall l; walls I, 8 and 9 being provided with suitable heat insulating material such as cork, glass wool,

or the like, as indicated at 'l', 8, and 9'. The

lower end of wall 9 is indicated by the dotted line l0, and the space below the lower horizontal wall I constitutes part of the refrigerated space 5 and is open to free communication with the remainder of the refrigerated space, below the lower end of said wall 9, and between front and rear vertial channel members 9' that extendthrough the full height of the interior space and serve to support shelves t2.

A water still is indicated generally at H, and is shown as comprising a boiler l2, suitable heating means such as burner I3, and a water cooled condenser M. This still may be of any suitable type and construction, its type or construction being immaterial for the purposes of my invention. The still may advantageously be of the automatic type, in which water from any suitable source is continually supplied to theboiler and evaporated therein, and the resulting water vapor passes into the condenser whereit is cooled and condensed to form distilled water. In stills of this type, it is customary to pass the incoming water through the water jacket of the condenser, for cooling the condenser, and thence into the boiler.

The still shown in Fig. 1 is of the general type known as Stokes #171 laboratory still, illustrated in Bulletin 907, published by F. J. Stokes Machine Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the general construction and mode of operation thereof are illustrated in somewhat simplified schematic form in Fig. 2. The condenser ht comprises an inner condenser tube communicating at its upperend with the vapor space within the boiler l2 and provided with a distilled water outlet lB at its lower end. A water jacket H. sur-. rounds tube to and is provided, at its lower end with an inlet it for cold water. At its upper end the jacket ill communicates with the bottom of the boiler l2 through passages 19 and 20. Overflow outlet 2! serves to maintain the desired liquid level in the boiler l2, as indicated for example by the dotted line at 22, while permitting overflow of excess water. A vent opening 23 permits the escape of any air or gas liberated from the water due to heating thereof within the condenser jacket ll.

When using a gas burner, as at It, for heating 0 the boiler, a gas supply pipe 26 is provided extending through the wall of housing I and connected to said burner. It will be understood however that any other desired heating means may be employed.

A water supply pipe 21 also extends through the housing l and serves to provide a continual supply of water to the still. Said pipe 21 is shown as connected to the inlet ill of the condenser jacket, through a suitable coil 28 disposed within 60 the wall 8 whereby the water flowing through said coil will absorb heat and thus further reduce the transfer of heat from the still compartmerit 6 through walls 8 and 1 to the refrigerated space 3.

A pipe 29 is connected to the overflow outlet 2| and extends out through the wall of the housing for conducting the excess water to a suitable point of discharge. The still is shown as mounted upon a suitable supporting bracket 3| secured to the vertical central wall 9.

.An air space 32 is provided between walls 1 and 8, and the wall of housing I may be provided with any suitable number of openings 33 establishing communication between this air space and the exterior of the housing so as to permit circulation of air between this space and the exterior and thus further reduce the transfer of heat through the walls 8 and i into the refrigerated space.

I also prefer to provide openings as indicated at 35 and 36, extending through'the wall of housing I and communicating with the Upper and lower portions respectively of the still compartment 6, so as to permit circulation of air between the exterior and said compartment. This circulation of air serves to remove heat and thus reduce the temperature Within said compartment. In order to further promote the circulation of air within this compartment, I have .also shown electrically driven fan 38 mounted within said compartment. Said fan maintains continual circulation of air in the compartment 6 and is preferably mounted in position to direct air from the fan directly upon the boiler I2 and its housing l2.

A distilled Water receptacle 4| is located within the refrigerated space 3. Said receptacle may be mounted in any suitable manner at any desired position within said space, but is preferably located, as shown, immediately below the wall I. Said receptacle is shown as resting upon a supporting shelf 42'. If desired, this receptacle may be provided with an overflow opening 43 near the top wall thereof, which may be connected to any suitable point of discharge. The distilled water receptacle may be formed of glass, rust resistant metal, or any other suitable material. If formed of metal or other non-transparent material, a suitably shaped glass window. 44 is preferably provided in the front wall thereof, to permit ob- I servation of the liquid level therein.

A water outlet pipe 45 is connected to the lower portion of receptacle 4! and is provided with a valve 46 whereby distilled-water may be dispensed from said receptacle when desired. The pipe 45 is shown as extending through the side wall of housing I, and valve 46 is shown as located outside said housing, so that the distilled water may be withdrawn as desired without opening refrig erator door 4.

The lower heat insulating wall 1 may be secured to the refrigerator housing or may, if desired, be formed as part of the cover of the distilled water receptacle 4|.

The door 4 is shown as provided with the usual sealing strips 41 adapted to engage the walls of housing I around the front opening of the refrigerator when the door is in closed position, and I have also shown additional sealing means 48 mounted on the inner face of said door, and

engaging the forward edges of walls I and 9 when the door is in closed position, to provide a substantially tight seal between the refrigerated space 3 and the still compartment 6. The sealing means 41 and 48 may be formed of any suitable material such as rubber or the like.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily apparent from the above description. During normal operation water is continually supplied through pipe 2'! and coil 28 to the condenser jacket I1, and passes from the upper end of said jacket through passages l9 and 20 into boiler I2. The heat from burner l3 causes evaporation of water within the boiler and the resulting vapor is condensed in condenser tube l5 to produce distilled water which flows by gravity into re ceptacle 4 I. In this receptacle the distilled water is cooled by transfer of heat therefrom into the refrigerated space in which the receptacle is located. Thus it will be seen that a constant supply of cool distilled water is available, and may be withdrawn when desired through the outlet pipe 45.

I claim: 1. In a household refrigerator having a housing enclosing a refrigerated space, the combination comprising: a water still located within said housing; heat-insulating Wall means separating said still from the refrigerated space; a coil disposed within said wall means; a distilled water receptacle located within said refrigerated space;

Water supply means connected to said coil; a pipe.

connecting said coil to said still; a pipe extending through said wall means to conduct distilled water from said still to said receptacle; and a water outlet pipe connected to said receptacle.

2. In combination with a household refrigerator having an outer heat insulated case, a distillation'compartment within said case defined by heat insulated walls, one of said walls being disposed horizontally beneath said compartment, an intermediate compartment within said case do defined by heat insulated walls, one of which is the aforementioned horizontal compartment, a distilled water storage compartment disposed contiguous to said intermediate compartment within the refrigerator case, said storage compartment being subjected to the cooling action of the refrigerator, a still within the distillation compartment, a condenser extending downwardly therefrom into the intermediate compartment, a liquid outlet from the condenser extending through a heat insulated wall into the distilled water storage compartment, a burner forming a part'of the still within the distillation compartment, a gas inlet and mixer within the intermediate compartment, a water inlet connecting to the condenser within the intermediate compartment, said inlet including a, coil embodied within the heat insulated wall between the distillation compartment and the intermediate compartment, whereby absorption of heat from the distillation compartment will take place as the water flows to the water inlet of the condenser, and a water outlet from the distilled water storage compartment.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the distillation compartment and the intermediate compartment are-open at their forward sides to permit access thereto and are closed by the door of the refrigerator, and cooperating sealing means between the door frame and the door, whereby said compartments will be hermeticaly sealed when the door is closed.

EDMUND B. KASOLD. 

